Photo by Sir Ernest H. Shackleton 
From "The Heart of the Antarctic," by E- H. Shackleton (J. B. Lippincott Co.) 
KILLER WHALES SOUNDING OFE THE GREAT ICE BARRIER 
Land), but sympathizingly adds, "The 
question of the existence of this land in 
any other position had been left open." 
The first break in nearly fourscore 
years of misrepresentation in British 
standard works is in the Encyclopedia 
Britannica, nth edition, 191 1, where 
Dr. Mill admits "there can be no doubt 
that Wilkes saw land along the line 
where Adelie Land, Kemp Land, En- 
derby Land are known to exist, even if 
the positions he assigns are not quite 
accurate." 
THE CONTINENT OE ANTARCTICA 
Probably no other standard authority 
denies the existence of a south-polar 
continent save the Encyclopedia Britan- 
nica, nth edition, 191 1, which mentions 
"Australia, the only continent entirely in 
the southern hemisphere." The loth 
edition, 1902, said : "The hypothesis of 
a great Antarctic continent, or continen- 
tal archipelago, continuously covered by 
an ice-sheet, is confirmed by the obser- 
vations of recent explorers, but the evi- 
dence is not yet direct or conclusive." 
Nearly 40 years since, a distinguished 
scientist, born on the continent of North 
America, Sir John Murray, of Challen- 
ger expedition and fame, and one of the 
eight honorary members of the National 
Geographic Society, considered the 
mooted extent of south polar lands and. 
finally outlined their logical continental 
form as the continent of Antarctica — a. 
fitting and largely accepted name. This- 
great feat of constructive geography de- 
pended on a few-score handfuls of oce- 
anic ooze from the south-polar seas and 
scanty bits of rocks from scattered lands. 
Whatever doubts remained as to the 
accuracy of Murray's deductions have 
disappeared since the cumulative dis- 
coveries of Amundsen, Borchgrevink,. 
Bruce, Drygalski, Gerlache, Larsen^ 
Nordenskiold, Scott, and Shackleton. 
Indeed, a German scientist has calculated 
that Antarctica is considerably greater in 
area than Europe, and that the average- 
elevation is more than double that of 
Asia. 
CONCLUSION 
It has been shown that the primary 
discovery of Antarctica and its definite- 
recognition as a continent were the out- 
come of American energy and prescience. 
It is therefore the duty of the I20,000' 
members of the National Geographic 
Society to create a public sentiment that 
shall honor in our literature and in our 
history the achievements of Nathaniel B_ 
Palmer and of Charles Wilkes. 
312 
